


Family Outing

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Series: Dad!Jason AU [12]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-24
Updated: 2015-10-24
Packaged: 2018-04-27 22:46:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5067529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He hadn't seen her, not since he'd taken her son in the dead of night and disappeared. So, to say he was surprised to find her on the steps of Wayne Manor on the eve of Halloween. Well, that was an understatement.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family Outing

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr prompt, for Halloween 2015.
> 
> This is after Waiting, though I suppose not by long. I imagine Damian’s birthday is sometime in the fall/early winter, so somewhere in October-November. So he’s either about to/just turned three. As mentioned, Talia had no contact with Jason or Damian really since Jason took him and they disappeared, but they attempt to keep up regular contact after. A letter, phone call or email at least once a month. Of Damian’s parents, Bruce is the only one he didn’t know/believe he was related to until he was 7/8. Everyone else he knew/believed to be so. This got out of hand, holy moley. Also babies laughing uncontrollably is my favorite noise, behind cat purrs, so.

“Woof!” Damian shouted, waving his cat tail as he stumbled forward into Cassandra’s arms. “Woof! Woof!”

“Cat.” Cassandra hummed, bopping her finger against his painted nose. “Cat says _meow_.”

“Oh, he knows.” Jason explained from behind to her, on the sofa. Damian looked at him and squealed in laughter. “He thinks he’s being _funny_.”

“Woof, woof!” Damian repeated with a toothy grin, giggles bubbly and infectious. “Woof, woof, woof!”

“Careful, Jay.” Dick murmured sweetly, from next to the chair Bruce was sitting in. “You tire him out now, he won’t be able to stay awake for the trick or treating. Then we’ll look pretty darn silly, being a group of _adults_ taking these people’s candy.”

“We’re taking it anyway.” Jason countered lazily, as Damian yelled and ran across the floor, flopped against Tim’s chest, still barking gleefully. “I mean, he’s _three_ – how much candy do these people think he’s really gonna eat? That we’re going to _let_ him eat?”

There was suddenly a gentle noise drifting through the air. The clanging chimes of the doorbell. Alfred, who had been standing in the sitting room entryway, bowed his head and silently went to answer it. Or would have. If Damian hadn’t _screamed_ again, right in Tim’s ear, and pattered quickly after him. Alfred waited, a smile on his lips, as Damian took his hand, and the two disappeared into the hall.

“We could at least _pretend_ not all the candy is for you.” Dick continued, rolling his eyes.

“If the kind patrons of Gotham’s suburbs get suspicious,” Jason drawled. “We can just blame it on Tim.”

The girls snorted, and Bruce chuckled as Tim just glanced to the ceiling. He and Jason weren’t perfect, not yet. There was still a bitterness about being replaced there, but. This was good, wherever they were now. This was nice.

“Jay, you’re horrible.” Dick laughed, only just registering Alfred reappearing in the doorway. “I’m thinking maybe we should just leave you behind tonight, to pass out candy. And we’ll take Dames to-”

Alfred suddenly cleared his throat, and everyone turned to stare at him.

“Sorry for the interruption, sirs, but.” Alfred whispered, and they all noticed his face was suddenly grave. They all also noticed Damian was no longer with him. Alfred didn’t leave room for questions, though, locking eyes with Bruce. “Master Bruce, it appears you have…a visitor.”

Bruce nodded silently, getting to his feet and stepping out of the room. Dick glanced at Jason, and without any announcement, both followed quickly after him.

And it took a moment, to recognize who the visitor was. From the distance of the sitting room, they could just see a woman. A woman with long brown hair, who had Damian nestled happily in her arms. But as they neared, as they followed behind Bruce, Dick heard Jason gasp. And, out of reflex, Dick grabbed Jason’s wrist, as his own recognition took hold.

It was Talia.

“Mama, Mama, Mama.” Damian was singing, pressing his tiny hands to Talia’s cheek, kissing at her nose. When he heard his fathers approaching, he turned curiously, face melting into an excited smile. “Baba! Is Mama!”

“Beloved.” Talia greeted, a small upturn of her lips. “Jason. Richard.”

Dick could feel Jason’s muscles tightening under his fingers, and he squeezed back gently.

“Oh, how could I forget.” Jason droned, his anger barely hidden. Dick knew that, as Damian suddenly frowned, cocked his head to the side with suspicion. “It’s not truly Halloween until a _witch_ shows up.”

“ _Jason_.” Dick hissed, even as Bruce put his hand on Jason’s chest, stepped halfway in front of him. “ _Don’t_.”

Bruce frowned. “Talia-”

“Did you call her?” Jason immediately whirled around on Bruce, eyes ferocious and the tiniest bit betrayed. “Bruce. _Bruce_. Tell me you didn’t call her.”

“No. Well, _yes_ , I did.” Bruce stumbled. “But I did _not_ tell her to come here.” He paused, as Jason fumed, tried to translate the information he was just given. “She had given birth to _my child_ , Jason. And kept him a _secret_ from me. I _had_ to speak to her.”

“My?” Damian asked, pointing to himself. “Mine?”

“Cute.” Was Talia’s only retort, as she leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to Damian’s whiskered cheek.

“Oh, yeah, cute.” Jason muttered, stepping around Bruce’s side. “Let me show you just how cute _I_ can be.”

“Talia.” Bruce called loudly, cutting off anything else Jason was going to say. He watched, as Damian, sensing the tension, let out a little whine, leaned away from Talia and reached his chubby little arms out for Jason. Jason instantly grabbed the child, and Talia released him without comment. “What are you doing here?”

“Am I not allowed to see my son when I want to?” Talia purred, almost sounding sincere.

“No, you can’t. Because you didn’t want to see him for the last _year and a half_.” Jason snapped, even as Damian nuzzled against his neck. “And I’ll be _damned_ if you think I’m going to let you just…walk in and out of his life whenever you want.”

Talia frowned. “You let Bruce do so.”

“No, I don’t, because he’s actually making a fucking _effort_ , Talia.” Jason snarled. “But trust me, even _this_ is not by _my_ choice-”

“Regardless of the past years, he is _my_ son, Jason, and-”

“No, he’s _not_.” Jason shot back, before she could even get the thought out. “He’s not _yours_ ,” A quick glance at Bruce. “And he sure as hell isn’t _yours_. He’s _mine_. I’ll even go as far as to say he’s _Dick’s_. But he’s not _yours_. He’s never _been_ yours. And as long as I’m alive he never _will_ be yo-”

“Okay, that’s enough.” Dick suddenly snapped. He darted around Jason’s shoulder, and yanked Damian from his grasp. Damian, for his part, thought it was a game, and let out a light laugh, with a loud, “Wheeeee!”

Jason huffed. “Dick!”

“You three have a lot to hash out. I get that, I _know_ that. Hell, as Jason just alluded to, I should _probably_ be in on this conversation, myself.” Dick scolded, looking pointedly at each of them. “But you will _not_ do this in front of the _baby_.”

“Baby?” Damian asked curiously, pointing to himself again. “Me?”

“Now Talia, you are _more_ than welcome to join us tonight. Damian said he wanted the _whole_ family to go trick or treating, and that includes you, since you’re here.” Dick said quickly. But then, he turned back to the men. “But for the love of _god_ , you three. Be _civil_ for once in your _friggen_ lives, and get this under _control_.”

Dick turned to walk away, and Jason tried to reach out for his arm. “Babe-”

“Figure it out, Jay or you and Bruce aren’t going with us, period.” Dick shot over his shoulder, curving away from Jason’s grasp, even as Damian waved silently at them. “We leave in twenty minutes.”

The three of them watched in silence as Dick stomped down the hall, disappearing back into the sitting room with Steph and the others.

And it was another moment, before Jason whispered:

“A year and a half, Talia.” He turned, looked at her with tired, sad eyes. “I haven’t heard from you in _a year and a half_. Since I _took_ him.”

The tension instantly drained from Talia’s shoulders. “I know, Jason, I-”

“And don’t you dare say you _tried_.” Jason began shaking his head, his voice trembling with emotion. “Don’t you dare tell me that the text saying ‘Take care of him or else’ that I got two days after returning to Gotham, from a _blocked number_ , was you _trying_.”

Talia sighed, “I know it wasn’t-”

“He still adores you, do you know that?” Jason asked, the sharp words tumbling from his mouth like a waterfall. “Asks about you most days. Whenever we get mail, he asks if it’s from Mama. Whenever we’re cutting up a dessert, he always makes me promise to leave a piece for _Mama_.”

Bruce was almost surprised, watching Jason talk. He’d never seen Jason get so worked up so fast. He’d never seen Talia crumble so quickly.

“He loves you more than me.” A dry chuckle, a dark smile. “You’re the _only_ person he loves more than me. And I don’t understand it. I don’t know what he’s thinking, or what he sees in you but-”

Talia cut him off, then. And, honestly, Bruce expected that. Expected her typical strong words and sharp wit.

But it wasn’t there.

“No.” Talia suddenly surged forward, took Jason’s hands in hers. “No, Jason that is-” A slight hiccup, a pause. And…Talia al Ghul never hesitated. Bruce and Jason couldn’t help but stare – It was such an odd look for her. “That is simply not _true_.”

Jason didn’t speak, and it was the first time any of them realized he was breathing heavily, near _panting_.

“There is _no one_ he loves more than you. You are his _whole world_.” Talia squeezed his fingers before releasing, stepping back to where she had been standing, and turning away. “I…I know I did not contact you. Did not write or call. But…that does not mean I was not _watching_.”

Not even Bruce had a retort to that.

“I saw that he was…happy, here.” She glanced over her shoulder. “That he was… _safe,_ with _you_.”

The timing was perfect, and suddenly there was an excited squawk from the living room.

“I was wrong. I realized that after you took him. After seeing the life he had, with you.” Talia whispered. “I…I don’t know what else to say.”

And finally, Bruce got his chance to speak. “Wrong about what?”

Jason suddenly stared up at him, green eyes annoyed. “She secretly had your _child_ , had full plans to _train him from birth_ , to raise him as a goddamn _assassin_ , and you’re really asking what she was _wrong_ about?”

Well, when it’s put that way.

“I don’t believe you.” Jason snapped, turning back on Talia, pain and hurt and anger in every word. “I don’t _want_ to believe you.”

“And I don’t expect you to.” Talia promised. “That’s not why I’m here, not at all.”

“Then _why_.” Jason slumped. “Why the hell are you _here?_ ” A pause. “Because I already told you. You’re not walking in and out of his life whenever you please. I won’t allow it. He deserves better than that.” A hesitation, and Bruce could sense the debate in Jason’s head, to say what he wanted at all. “He deserves better than you and Bruce _combined_.”

And really, neither Bruce nor Talia had it in them to refute that statement. After all, it wasn’t exactly incorrect.

“He does. He deserves the world. The _universe_. He deserves _more_ than that, really.” Talia agreed. She looked away, then. Glanced at the ground and inhaled. “And that’s why, dear Jason. That’s why I stayed away. That’s why I watched, but didn’t write. Because…” Her hair fell from her shoulders, covered her face, but not before Jason and Bruce saw her close her eyes. “Because I was not – _am_ not – the mother he deserves.”

Silence. Wind across the Wayne grounds. Bruce glanced at Jason. Saw his face changing. From cold fury to blatant shock to…slowly growing undersanding.

“I am not too proud to say that. Just as I am not to proud to say that you are the _best_ thing that _ever_ happened to him, Jason Todd. Nor too proud to admit it, that I-” Talia’s eyes flashed open, but remained on the ground. She glanced up, through her lashes, almost _sheepish_. “I just missed him.”

_Oh._

“And regardless of what you think of me, Jason. I am still a mother first. My motives were wrong, I realized that soon after you both left my care, but that does not mean I do not love him more than anything on this planet, and don’t want only what is best for him.” Talia explained, finally raising her head. “But I’ll confess, I did not expect you all to be here. My plan was to speak to my Beloved on the matter first, and then contact you directly if we both felt it the right thing to do.”

Jason merely huffed. Rolled his eyes, crossed his arms, and waited.

“However, I apologize for my intrusion.” Talia murmured. “I…I just wanted to see him.”

And that was enough for Bruce. It probably shouldn’t have been, but it was. But, as he and Dick had talked about before, it was not his place to make decisions on Jason or Damian’s behalf. Not right now. Not just yet.

So he cleared his throat, and glanced down at Jason.

Jason wasn’t holding eye contact. Kept his gaze up and to the left, a tactic Bruce remembered fondly from when he was a boy.

Eventually, Jason sighed, long and exasperated.

“You could have just _called_ and _told_ me that.”

And Talia chanced a smile, as Jason turned back towards the foyer, beckoned her along with a wave of his hand. Bruce followed his lead, going as far as to step away, even when he saw Talia’s arm reach out, and grab Jason’s elbow.

And he kept walking. Slow, small steps. Not far, just in case his trust was misplaced. Just in case this really was all just a ruse by Talia, and Jason or Damian were still in danger.

But who knew. Maybe a moment alone between their son’s mother and guardian was just what they needed.

He watched out of the corner of his eye, as Jason turned back to face her. As Talia squeezed his arm and whispered the most sincere thing Bruce had ever heard his one-time-lover say.

“Thank you. For all of this. For everything you’ve done for him.”

Jason hummed a laugh and shifted her hand, so now he was holding it, their fingers intertwined. He pulled her into the manor, gently kicking the door behind them and leading her forward. “Had to return the favor to you somehow, right? You saved my life back then, Talia, and no matter what you originally had him for, the least I could do for you was save his. Consider us even.”

Bruce waited for them in the sitting room entryway, couldn’t keep the smile from his face as they joined him.

Damian was still squealing loudly, lovingly trapped in Dick’s octopus-like embrace on the floor. His laugh was fizzy and contagious, as Dick pressed raspberries and kisses to his cheeks, the sound seemingly never-ending.

“Yeah, we might’ve both been wrong still, T.” Jason admitted. When she looked up at him, there was a soft look in his eyes. Warm and misty. And she knew, from her own experiences with Bruce, that Damian wasn’t the only cause. “I’m pretty sure there’s still one person in the world that Damian loves more than _either_ of us.”

She allowed herself to laugh, to relax a little bit more as Damian continued his giggles as he held Dick’s face. As Dick fixed the cat ears on the toddler’s head. “I must admit,” She confessed. “You have good tastes in partners. Had it been anyone else, I might have come for a visit a little _sooner_.”

Jason barked a snicker, and even Bruce let out a chuckle. “Honestly, without that kid of ours?” And it was almost nice, that phrasing. _Ours_. She glanced across Jason’s chest, noticed Bruce smiling, just slightly, at the statement too. “I probably wouldn’t have landed him.” Another snort of laughter. “Who knew I rocked the hot single dad look.”

Both Bruce and Talia laughed at that, gaining the attention from the room. And Talia’s breath caught – heard Bruce’s doing the same – when Damian looked over at them, cat costume and all, and his face lit up at the sight of them.

Of _all_ of them.

 _We could be a family._ She thought, as Damian climbed over Dick’s legs and wobbled towards them, looking chubby and healthy and – best of all – happy. _We could_ still _be a family._ All _of us._

“Thank you,” She found herself whispering again, even as Damian slammed against Jason’s knees, hopped up and down impatiently, until Jason relented and stooped to pick him up. He glanced questioningly at her, even as Damian squirmed in his arms. “Thank you for loving him so much.”

And much to everyone’s surprise, Jason smiled. Shifted Damian to his hip and leaned over, wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against his chest. Damian just cooed, and tried to hug them both, as Jason murmured “Thank _you_ for giving me the chance to, Talia.”

~~

They watched, from the end of the walkway, as Tim, Steph and Cass checked out the nearby Halloween decorations, as Jason and Talia walked Damian up to the house and smiled sheepishly as Damian screamed “trick, treat!!” at the homeowners sitting there.

“So?” Dick asked, glancing up at Bruce. “What do you think?”

“I think Damian’s enjoying himself.” Bruce hummed. Dick rolled his eyes.

“That’s not what I’m talking about, and you know it.”

Bruce smirked, pleased with his own joke. “I think…” He sighed slowly. “I think it’s a good first step. For all four of us. You know, to get on the same page.”

Dick watched, as the old couple asked Damian about his costume. As he heard Damian joyously scream, “I’mma kitty!!”

“…Did you know Talia was going to show up?”

“No.” Bruce denied instantly, as Damian turned to show off his tail. “I honestly didn’t. I…I had asked her, of course. If she wished to. I told her I would talk to you and Jason about it, we could set up a time. But she refused.”

“Hm. A warning would have been nice. I’d have liked to talk to Talia about a few things myself.” Dick murmured, smiling when the woman on the porch gave Damian an extra piece of candy, when Damian spun around to show Jason and Talia excitedly. “…It doesn’t change anything, though.”

“I know.” Bruce nodded, feeling the strings of his heart tug, when Damian offered the extra candy to his mother. As Talia knelt down to take it from him, and kissed his forehead. Bruce’s smile faded, only slightly. Another life, maybe, this would be a daily occurrence. He would see this every day. Him, his wife and his son. Living happily together.

Maybe in his dreams.

“No, I mean.” Dick huffed. “I didn’t like Jason’s delivery of it, but, well. He wasn’t _wrong_.” A pause as the man at the home said something, probably complimented Damian’s costume, and Damian twirled around, hiding his face against Jason’s knees. “That’s…Damian’s _our_ kid, Bruce. And, while I will acknowledge your importance in his life, and want you both immensely involved in it, you can’t take him from us. You can’t pop in and out of his existence whenever you want, or when it’s _convenient_. You _or_ Talia.”

And despite everything Bruce wanted to say, he sighed. Watched as Jason took the bucket of candy, as Damian took both his hand and Talia’s and the trio walked back towards them. “…I know, Dick.”

“Because, Jason aside, _I’ll_ fight you.” Dick let out a little smirk, as Talia and the boys passed them. He stepped off after them, glancing mischievously back. “And let’s be real – I’d totally kick your _ass_ , old man.”

And Bruce had no doubt, that for this child, for the heart and love and happiness of _this_ child – not to mention for the love and safety and stability of Jason Todd – Dick most definitely would.

Damian suddenly turned, gave Dick a wide grin, before turning further, staring at his biological father. “C’mon, Boose!”

Bruce chuckled, motioning to his daughter before following the toddler’s direct order.

~~

Dick wouldn’t stop smiling. Wouldn’t stop glancing in the rear view mirror.

Trick or treating had been an absolute success. So successful, they ended up having to leave half of Damian’s bucket of candy at the manor.

“Do you want me to drive?” Jason hummed sleepily from the passenger seat. Dick laughed and shook his head. “Then pay attention to the damn road, babe.”

“Sorry, sorry.” Dick chuckled, peeking one last glance at the sleeping cat in the backseat. He’d been right, earlier. It didn’t take much to tucker Damian out completely. They were barely through the door after trick or treating, and Damian was already dozed off in Talia’s arms. She’d held him with no complaints – either from her or Bruce or Jason – and instead, they’d all watched as she gently rocked him, pacing around the family room as they talked Gotham business. “…You think he’s going to let go of that anytime soon?”

 _That_ being the mandatory picture-on-the-front-steps-of-everyone’s-costumes for Alfred Pennyworth. Taken before they’d left. Printed and copied many times over, waiting for distribution by the time they returned.

Jason grunted, and turned in his seat. The Polaroid was clutched tightly in Damian’s candy-covered fingers, pressed to his chest like a lifeline, even now, in slumber.

Damian had been so excited to take it, demanding different poses and subject combinations. The one currently in his grasp was one of the many of the whole family, with him and his cat-self smushed contently between Talia and himself, Bruce and Dick respectively next to them, and the rest of the family spread out around them.

They’d given the image to Talia to see first – It was all they had time for, after all. That and a few kisses for Mama, before Talia had to disappear back into the sky on her helicopter.

Damian suddenly smacked his lips in his sleep, tried to turn a little in his car seat, and held the picture up to his face, smashing it against his cheek. Jason smiled, rolled his eyes and turned back towards the road.

“My guess?” Jason murmured, reaching out and taking Dick’s hand as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “Not in this century.”

**Author's Note:**

> [Other things for Nevolition’s Dad!Jason AU](http://fishfingersandjellybabies.tumblr.com/tagged/dad%21jason+au)   
> 


End file.
